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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · charge · face · pit · craft · sharp · pass · court

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. court — of a king
  5. pit — a hole
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. craft — a skill
  11. court — for sport
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. court — of law
  14. sharp — clever
  15. craft — boats
  16. charge — electricity
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. chest — of your body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com